Nine months ago, I wrote about our friend Harvey who was trying to be the first-person-ever to be cured of the cancer that he had been diagnosed with eight months earlier. At that time, he had already survived a brutal course of chemotherapy and still had the uncertainty of a stem cell transplant in his future. But we were cautiously optimistic.

Last Saturday night, more than a hundred people gathered to celebrate Harvey’s and his wife Tina’s 50th wedding anniversary. People came from far and wide. Kids, grandkids, former neighbors, the man who introduced them to each other so long ago and, of course, long-time friends like us. It was a joyful celebration. Harvey was back to being Harvey—full of life, full of joy and optimism. Tina thanked him publicly for obeying her order to survive.

It was a beautiful party, and it was a reminder that even when things look bleak, it doesn’t hurt to hope.

Read the reviews for 70-Something: Life, Love and Limits in the Bonus Years at Amazon.com